Scripture Readings: Acts 2: 1-11 1 Corinthians 12: 3-7; 12-13 John 20: 19-23
The Feast of Pentecost, as we know, is referred to as the birthday of the Church. The Church was born, if you will on Pentecost. But Pentecost is not a once only event.
Pentecost continued to happen whenever Church happens.
(Reminds me of the Flip Wilson show of many, many years ago and the segment he had entitled: The Church of What’s Happening Now.)
- When does Church happen?
When the Spirit comes to set free a community, blowing them out of being stuck in any comfort zone into a world sometimes hostile, to proclaim with joy the Gospel…Church happens.
- When does Church happen?
When the Spirit turns a group of frightened people into a people afire with Jesus’ love…Church happens.
- When does Church happen?
When the Spirit comes upon a community and makes each person aware of his or her gift given for the good of others, whether they are part of that community or not…Church happens.
- When does Church happen?
When a community knows the breath of Jesus breathing in them, showing itself in a spirit of forgiveness generously extended to others…Church happens.
- When does Church happen?
When the Spirit makes a community out of individuals and not just individuals from the same family or same neighborhood or same race, class or language. We’re talking strange people. We’re talking people we would not give a second glance. The Holy Spirit creates community with those who are unlike us, people we do not want to be lumped with. People we think about as “nutzoids” and sometimes we are one of the them….This is Church happening.
- When does Church happen?
Church, to paraphrase the pope, is messy and annoying and absolutely necessary to the Christian life. And when we see and experience the order and the mess and when we see and experience the comfortable and the annoying…Church happens.
- When does Church happen?
Church happens when “we” and “others” work together as a community of faith – centered in Jesus and His message. Church happens when we are not in control, but the Holy Spirit, the Lord is in control and we give God permission to work in and through us, every day.
- When does Church happen?
Most of all, when a community of believers gathers in the power of the Holy Spirit, who comes upon bread and wine to change it into the body and blood of Christ – Enabling those who receive it to be more deeply transformed into the body of Christ…Church happens.
The question today is not only about how Church has happened in years past or even yesterday. The question is how will Church happen this moment, this hour of our lives. How will Church happen later today, tomorrow, and for days to come in the world around us – as person, family and parish.